UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA       AGRICULTURAL   EXPERIMENT    STATION 
COLLEGE    OF    AGRICULTURE  benj.  ide  wheeler,  president 

___,,_.    _..  THOMAS  F.  HUNT,    Dean  and  Director 

CIRCULAR  No.  103 

(June,  1913) 

CHEMICAL  ANALYSES  OF  WATERS 

Owing  to  the  diverse  character  of  the  sources  of  water  supply  and 
the  extensive  occurrence  of  alkali  in  the  waters  of  California,  the 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station  is  prepared,  as  a  part  of  its  public 
service,  to  furnish  free  chemical  analyses  of  water  for  irrigation  and 
domestic  purposes,  to  rural  consumers,  but  to  this  class  of  persons 
only.  The  analysis  made  is  adapted  to  this  particular  purpose,  it 
is  not  a  complete  chemical  analysis,  and  the  reports  are  purposely 
framed  to  prevent  their  use  for  advertising  purposes.  For  this  latter 
service,  applicants  are  advised  to  secure  fuller  examinations  and  more 
complete  reports  from  a  commercial  chemist. 

Ordinarily  the  examination  will  consist  only  of  a  mineral  analysis 
designed  to  determine  the  suitability  of  the  water  for  irrigation  and 
domestic  purposes.  This  will  in  proper  cases  only  be  supplemented 
by  the  so-called  "sanitary  chemical  analysis,"  to  determine  the 
probability  or  lack  of  probability  of  the  water  having  become  con- 
taminated by  animal  matter  or  sewage.  Under  no  circumstances  will 
we  examine  waters  for  bacteria  and  disease  producing  organisms. 
Where  specific  infectious  diseases,  typhoid,  dysentery,  etc.,  have 
appeared  and  the  water  supply  is  suspected,  applications  for  assist- 
ance should  be  made  to  the  Secretary  of  the  State  Board  of  Health, 
Sacramento,  California. 

HOW  TO  OBTAIN  ANALYSES 
If,  on  reading  the  above,  you  find  that  you  are  entitled  under  our 
regulations  to  an  analysis,  that  the  analysis  furnished  is  the  kind  you 
desire,  and  you  are  willing  to  comply  with  all  of  our  conditions,  you 
may  fill  out  and  forward  the  attached  certificate.  On  receipt  of  the 
certificate,  properly  made  out,  we  will  forward  you  one  of  our  packed 
sample  bottles  by  express  C.O.D.  You  will  then  fill  the  bottle  in 
accordance  with  our  directions  and  forward  by  express  prepaid. 

TIME  OF  TAKING  SAMPLES 

Samples  should  in  all  cases  be  shipped  at  such  a  time  as  to  reach 
Berkeley  on  Tuesday  morning  and  the  bottle  should  be  filled  as  short 
a  time  before  shipment  as  possible.    We  reserve  the  right  to  refuse 


to  analyse  samples  which  arrive  on  any  other  day  than  Tuesday  or 
are  more  than  forty-eight  hours  old.  These  requirements  are  to 
enable  us  to  render  prompt  service  and  to  avoid  those  changes  which 
are  likely  to  take  place  in  certain  classes  of  waters. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  SAMPLING 

Do  not  close  the  spring  lock  of  the  sample  case  until  bottle  is  filled 
and  replaced. 

Do  not  rinse  out  the  bottle  as  it  is  already  perfectly  clean. 

Do  not  remove  bottle  from  case  nor  the  stopper  from  bottle  till 
just  before  filling. 

Do  not  touch  the  inside  of  the  neck  of  the  bottle  nor  the  stem  of 
the  stopper. 

Hold  stopper  by  the  outer  end  or  handle  while  filling  the  bottle. 

To  fill:  From  a  tap,  spigot,  or  hydrant. — Allow  the  water  to  run 
for  fully  ten  minutes  before  collecting,  then  remove  stopper  and  fill 
the  bottle  to  a  point  about  one  inch  below  the  base  of  neck. 

From  a  river,  pond,  reservoir,  or  basin. — Lower  the  bottle,  with 
the  stopper  in  place,  into  the  water  to  a  depth  of  twelve  inches  below 
the  surface,  remove  the  stopper,  allow  the  bottle  to  fill  completely  and 
replace  the  stopper  before  bringing  to  the  surface,  to  avoid  collecting 
any  scum.  When  brought  to  the  surface,  pour  out  a  small  quantity 
so  that  the  sample  shall  fill  the  bottle  to  a  point  one  inch  below  the 
base  of  neck.  If  the  water  is  shallow,  collect  the  running  water  in 
a  clean  vessel  and  pour  into  bottle.  Precautions  must  always  be  taken 
not  to  stir  up  any  sediment. 

After  filling  secure  the  stopper  in  its  place  by  tying  on  the  cloth 
cap  attached  to  bottle. 

Before  closing  the  box,  fill  out  and  return  card  to  the  envelope 
in  top  of  sample  case. 

SHIPPING  THE  SAMPLE  CASE 

Close  box,  placing  padlock  in  place  and  snapping  the  spring  lock. 
Remove  the  pasteboard  address  card  bearing  your  name,  when  our 
printed  address  will  appear.  Send  by  express  prepaid  as  soon  as 
practicable  after  taking  sample. 

CERTIFICATE  TO  BE  FILLED  OUT 

On  the  following  leaf  is  the  certificate  to  be  filled  out.  It  may 
be  detached  and  used  as  such. 


CERTIFICATE    FOR   ANALYSIS 

Division  of  Agricultural  Chemistry, 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
University  of  California, 

Berkeley,  California. 

This  is  to  certify  that  the  sample  of  water  which  I  propose  send- 
ing you  for  analysis  will  be  taken  and  forwarded  in  exact  accordance 
with  your  directions ;  that  I  will  pay  the  express  charges  on  the  empty 
container  from  Berkeley  to  my  address  and  on  the  full  container  from 
my  address  to  Berkeley;  and  that  it  is  not  my  intention  to  use  the 
analysis  for  advertising  purposes. 

I  further  certify  that  the  following  answers  to  your  questions  are 
true  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  and  belief. 


Location  of  place  of  drawing?  (To  be  in  accordance  with  United 
States  Land  Office  description  if  possible,  otherwise  distance  and 
direction  from  some  well-known  place). 


Character  and  name   (if  any)   of  body  of  water.     (River,  creek, 
lake,  pond,  well?) 


In  case  of  flowing  waters. — What  is  the  seasonal  variation  of  flow, 
and  distance  of  other  users  from  the  stream? 


In  case  of  a  well. — Is  it  dug,  bored,  or  driven,  and  how  is  the  top 
protected.  What  is  the  depth  to  water,  depth  of  water,  and  amount 
supplied  ? 


In  case  of  ponds  or  lakes. — State  size,  depth,  etc. 


Give  the  distance  of  the  water  supply  from  the  most  probable  of 
the  possible  sources  of  contamination,  such'  as  cesspools,  outhouses, 
barns,  kitchens,  etc. 


Does  the  land  drain  from  any  such  source  of  pollution  toward  the 
water  supply?  If  so,  describe  the  so-called  "lay  of  the  land"  (top- 
ography). 


State  for  which  of  the  following  purposes  you  propose  using  the 
water:  Drinking,  washing,  boiler,  watering  stock,  irrigation. 


Have  you  used  this  water  heretofore,  and  if  so,  have  you  observed 
that  it  has  any  peculiar  properties  or  effects? 


Further  remarks: 


(Signature)    

(P.O.  address)  

(Date)  

(Signature  of  Witness  when  convenient) 


Please  note  that  the  interpretation  of  the  analysis  depends  upon 
the  facts  requested  and  that  without  the  interpretation  the  analysis 
will  be  valueless  to  you. 


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